flagg



(No Model.)-

B. W. PLAGG. THRASHING MAGHINE.

No. 427,471. Patented May 6, 1890.

amen/km 52; mJ Q G obe awa I I I k a h vw aw 5 UNITED STATES PATENT ELIW. FLAGG, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NICHOLS &

' SHEPARD COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

THRASHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,471, dated May 6,1890. Application filed January 31, 1890. Serial No. 338,705. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI W. FLAGG, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Battle Creek, county of Calhoun, and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Thrashing-Maehines, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to an arrangement of pendent guard or fenderinterposed between the thrashing-cylinder and beater for preventing thestraw from being carried up over the latter and from becoming packed inbetween it and the thrashing-cylinder, and so interfering with theproper working of the machine, and to the means for giving the requiredadjustment to the shaking screens and grain-pan for insuring theirworking in proper relation to each other and to the machineframe, andwhereby the screen can be adjusted to operate 011 clover, timothy,buckwheat, beans, peas, &c., all as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of athrashing-machine having my improvements applied, with the adjacent sidecasing-boards removed to show the arrangement of the working parts. Fig.2 is a face View of one of the plates for adjusting the pan or shakerdetached; and Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of the same applied to thecasing, shown in section. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section,showing the relation of the thrashingcylinder, beater, and interposedpendent fender 0r guard, said guard being shown also in side elevationdetached and in slightly-modified form; and Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof one of the sections of the shaking straw-carrier detached. Fig. 6 isa broken sectional view illustrating the manner of applying thepivot-plates to the pan.

A A A indicate portions of the framework of the machine, B thethrashing-cylinder, B the concave, and C the beater or beater-cylinder,which parts may be of any usual or preferred construction and need not,therefore, be described in detail.- The beater is ordinarily arranged inrear of and in near proximity to the thrashing-cylinder and in a planeslightly higher than the latter to receive the straw as it is thrownfrom the thrashing-cylinder and beat it down upon the shakingstraw-carrier, so that the latter may begin 5 5 its action upon thestraw as soon as it leaves the cylinder, and thereby economize the spacewithin the machine-frame for eifecting a separation of the grain fromthe straw.

In practice it has been found that the action of the thrashing-cylinderthrows the straw with such force against and over the beater that thelatter frequently fails to free itself and to beat the straw down asfast as received, and this, combined with the upward movement of therear uncovered face of the thrashing-cylinder on the straw, tends topack the latter solidly in between the cylinder and beater, and therebyin a short time to interfere with the proper working of the parts. Toobviate this difficulty, a tender or guard a is fastened at its upperedge or end to a transverse frame-bar A secured to uprights A in rear ofand above the cylinder B, said guard being pendent from said frame-barand having its lower end bent or curved forward to bring its edge intoclose proximity with the teeth I) of the thrashing-eylinder at a pointnear the horizontal plane of the axis of said cylinder, as shown in Fig.4:. By this arrange- 8o ment ample room is left for the straw to es capefrom the cylinder after it leaves the 0011- cave, the guard or fenderacting as a cleaning device for throwing the straw off the cylinder, andthe surface of the latter ceases to act on the straw to carry it upwardand wedge it in between the cylinder and beater, and the latter isconsequently rendered more effective in action and is less liable tobecome clogged.

The shaking straw-carrier and the grain- 0 pan are similar inarrangement andoperation to the corresponding parts described in LettersPatent No. 387 ,869', granted to me August 14, 1888.

The shaking carrier is composed of sections 5 D, D, D D and D Of thesethe firstnamed D is composed of a frame covered with the usualforwardly-inclined transverse slats separated sufficiently to let thegrain pass down between them, and the side bars 00 of which frame areextended fomvard and pivoted at their lower ends to the sides of thegrain-pan E, from which said section receives its motion. It is upheldby links d, pivoted to the side bars thereof and to the sides of thecasing. The rear or outer section D is similarly constructed, but issuspended on inclined parallel links (1, connecting it with the casing,and is vibrated by links connecting it with the section D immediatelyforward of it, as in the patent above referred to. The intermediatesections D, D and D are composed each of an open rectangular frame, aflooring of open wire-gauze d stretched over said frame, and a series oflongitudinallyarranged strips or bars (1 placed on edge at intervalsoverlying the wire gauze or screen and provided on their upper edgeswith sawshaped teeth (1, as shown. The side bars of these rectangularframes are of angular or bell-crank form, and the upright arms (Zthereof at their forward ends are pivot-ed at their upper ends to themachine frame or casing and form the supports on which said sections arevibrated. The strips (1 uphold the straw above the screen (Z and preventit from being caught and held by the latter, and the teeth 61' areprovided with. inclined forward faces to facilitate the passage of thestraw over the bars, and are made perpendicular to the screen, or nearlyso, on their rear faces to cause them to engage the straw and force itonward. By this construction a light and strong shaking screen isobtained especially adapted by its coarse wire screen and the toothedlongitudinal slats holding the straw above the same to effect a quickand thorough separation or escape of the grain from the straw and itsshaking carrier.

The shaker section D is shown connected by links d with the grain-pan Eand the section D is connected by links d with the section D ,'thelatter and the grain-pan if being connected by linksf and f with acrankshaft F and receiving their vibratory movements therefrom in awell-known manner. The grain-pan E is of any usual or preferredconstruction; but, like the sections of the superposed shakingstraw-carrier, it is essential that it shall fill in closely the spacebetween the sides A of the machine-frame, and to prevent rubbing againstsaid sides or the cramping of the same on their pivotal supports,instead of making the supportin g-pivots rigid on the frame, I form themon pivot-plates having a central hub G and a stud or pin g, formed onthe latterin eccentric relation thereto,asshown. The outer rim orperipheral flange G of the hub Gis provided with bolt-holes g at regularintervals, permitting the plate to be adjusted, and through which theplates are bolted to the casing or sides or side flanges of thegrain-pan E, the hubs g passing through perforations therein, as shownin Figs. 3 and 6. The heads of the bolts h are shown countersunk on theinner side of the casing, to be out of the way of the pivoting-links,and the securing-nuts h are applied to the outer ends of the bolts, asshown. By removing the nuts and drawing the plates outward sufficientlyto clear the ends of the bolts it can be rotated on its hub G, andthepivot 9 thereby moved forward or back, up or down, until the re quiredposition is attained in which the grainpan or shaker-section is made toswing in true relation to the frame and the parts to each other, therebyobviating all cramping and unnecessary friction and wear of the parts.

The upright arms d of the sections D, D, D and D are shown provided ontheir pivoted ends with two eyes or perforations '6, through either ofwhich they may be pivoted on the pins 9 for further adjustment, whererequired, for varying their throw by lengthenin g or shortening thepivotal arms or links. Other perforations may be added, if desired, forthe same purpose, and, as shown in the case of the adjustable link d,the latter for changing the angle of the section D and adapting it tooperate on clover, timothy, orchardgrass, buckwheat, beans, field-peas,&c., as well as upon the usual grains. The upper end of the link disalso made adjustable longitudinally of the machine by means of a seriesof perforations'e, arranged in an arc of a circle of which the pivotalconnection of the link with the section D is the center. This last-namedadjustment does not disturb the position of the section when at rest,but it does serve to change its throw, as explained in the patentreferred to; but by the ad j ustment of the length of the link by meansof the perforations M not only is the position or angle of the sectionchanged, setting it nearer to or farther from the beater, but its throwis also changed. This is important, for the reason that the spacebetween the beater and the shaker is thereby governed.

In many kinds of thrashingfor instance, in clover when very dry and whenits straw is disposed to break up into small particles it becomesessential that this section D should lie relatively flat and have alarge space between it and the beater to permit the straw to work offrapidly; otherwise, being in a dry and brittle condition, it breaks upinto small pieces, and if not quickly passed along over the shaker willfall through between the slats and pass into the grain-pan in largequantities, and thereby clog the sieves and render the cleaning Verydefective. In the thrashing of flax, peas, and beans similar resultsoccur if this section of the shaker stands at such an angle as to retardthe free passage of the material. Therefore it is necessary to be ableto enlarge the space between the beater and the 'shakersection D and topermit said section to lie comparatively level or at a much less anglethan is necessary and desirable in the handling of many other conditionsof grain and seeds. Again, the perforations in the link serve a doublepurpose, not only to permit the regulation and adj ustment of therelative space between the beater ITO and the shaker, but thelengthening of this link decreases the uplift of the shaker and thisshaker stand at a less angle or nearly level, then it is also desirableto pass this material over the shaker as rapidly as possible and notshake the material through the openings into the grain-pan beneath, andthe diminished uplift tend to this result. On the contrary, when thespace between the shaker and beater is lessened, and the section Dthereby placed at a greater angle, it is then desirable to give theshaker more uplift for the purpose of shaking outand separating thegrain from it. This position is most desirable when the straw is toughand weedy and not inclined to break up or out into small pieces, butinclined to hold the thrashed grain intermingled with the straw, andconsequently more uplift or shaking is necessary.

The fender or guard at serves not only for the purpose above explained,but by having its lower end bent or curved forward into close proximitywith the teeth of the cylinder it very materially reduces the quantityof dust carried around by the thrashing-cylinder. As the teeth of thecylinder strike in to the straw a large amount of dustis necessarilyraised, and the tendency is for this to follow around with the cylinderand be thrown out in the front of the machine, to the great discomfortof the man feeding the machine and also of the other operators. The useof this fender or guard with the curved or bent edge largely preventsthis, as the current of dust is cut off and turned outside toward thebeater, and is then caught by the beater and carried rearward throughthe machine.

Having now described my invention, I claim as new- 1. Thecombinatiomwith the thrashing-cylinder and the beater, of the interposedpendent dust-guard and fender-plate having its lower edge bent toward orinto close proximity with the ends of the teeth of thethrashing-cylinder, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the pivoted links of the separating-carrier, ofthe adjustable pivot-plates carrying the link-pivots arranged ineccentric relation thereto, said plates being secured. to their supportsby means of bolts and nuts, permitting their adjustment, substantiallyas described.

The combination of the shaking strawcarrier composed of sections, thegrain-pan underneath said carrier, the supporting-links for said carrierand grain-pan, and the pivotplates carrying the eccentrically-arrangedpins supporting said links, said plates being made adjustable andsecured by means of bolts and nuts, for the purpose and substantially asdescribed.

4. The pivoted links or arms on which the shaking screen is suspended,provided with perforations permitting their adjustment, in combinationwith the adjustable pivot-plates carrying the link-pivots and beingsecured to their supports by means of bolts and nuts, permitting theadjustment of said plates, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the beater and the shaking screen or grain-pan,of the. shaking straw-carrier composed of aseries of overlappingindependently-pivoted sections, the first section D thereof underlyingthe beater being connected with and operated from the grain-pan, and theperforated supportingi links therefor made adjustable both in length andlaterally for setting said section nearer to or farther from the beaterand changing its throw, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of January, A. D. 1890.

. ELI WV. FLAGG.

WVitnesses:

A. O. KINGMAN, O. P. ALDRICH.

